The best traffic-free bike rides around Lai da Ova Spin

beautiful landscape here, simply unique

La Tuor dals Mors / Mohrenturm, Zernez This is how the historian Nicolin Sererhard described the Mohrenturm in the 18th century. The exact year of the tower's construction is not known. It was probably built in the mid-13th century by the Moor family, making it older than the Swiss Confederation. As late as 1570, it was inhabited by an Albert Moor. Afterwards, it was left to decay and later taken over by the municipality. How far the foundations actually reach into the ground is left to the imagination, as is the legend of the underground connecting passage to Planta Castle of Wildenberg. Known and accessible are the historical cellar vaults with the dungeons, accessible only from above. Also characteristic is the ledge on the outer wall, which testifies to a reconstruction from this height and is still recognizable inside today. Text / Source: Mohrenturm, Zernez https://www.morenturm.ch/

Schloss Zernez / Schloss Planta von Wildenberg in Zernez Between the former Wildenberg court and the present-day Planta-Wildenberg Castle lies a long, history-rich path that could certainly be described as a cinematic drama with a happy ending. The castle stands majestically on the plain below the church hill, marking the transition to the old village part Runatsch. Only the square tower still reminds us of a long-gone era. This medieval residential tower was probably built around 1280 and was owned by the Lords of Planta-Wildenberg. The unpopular lord of the castle, Rudolf von Planta, as a statutory judge, had executions carried out, which the population resented. He was suspected of sympathizing with the Catholics, outlawed by the court in 1618, and sentenced to death in absentia. Under the leadership of his opponent Baptista von Salis, the people of Engadin devastated his castle, but he fled. In 1627, he became an Austrian captain and ruled again in Zernez, to the dismay of the inhabitants, who had to rebuild it. Over the centuries, there were many changes of ownership: from the Bishop of Chur, Conrad Planta from Zuoz, Knight Rudolf von Planta, the Bezzola and Hemmi families, to the municipality of Zernez. Its current appearance was given to the castle through the renovation and extension of the two additional wings in the 18th century. Miraculously, it was spared from the great village fire. In 1985, the municipality of Zernez acquired it for use as a municipal building. Since 2007, it has housed the National Park administration. During the National Park Cinema Open Air, the castle courtyard transforms into a fairytale film set. The dramas now only play out on the screen and no longer behind the castle walls. Text / Source: Gäste-Information Scuol, Stradun 403a, Scuol https://www.engadin.com/de/schloss-planta-wildenberg-zernez

Chastè / Schloss Planta Von Wildenberg, Zernez The castle stands majestically in the plain below the church hill and marks the transition to the old village part Runatsch. Only the square tower still reminds of long past times. This medieval residential tower was probably built around 1280 and was owned by the lords Planta-Wildenberg. The unpopular lord of the castle, Rudolf von Planta, had executions carried out as statutory judge, which the population resented. He was suspected of sympathizing with the Catholics, outlawed by the court in 1618, and sentenced to death in absentia. Under the leadership of his opponent Baptista von Salis, the people of Engadin devastated his castle, but he fled. In 1627 he became an Austrian captain and ruled again in Zernez, to the regret of the inhabitants, who had to rebuild it. Over the centuries, there were many changes of ownership: From the Bishop of Chur, Conrad Planta from Zuoz, Knight Rudolf von Planta, the Bezzola and Hemmi families to the municipality of Zernez. Text / Source: Gäste-Information Scuol, Stradun 403a, CH-7550 Scuol https://www.engadin.com/de/schloss-planta-wildenberg

«Baselgia San Mauritius» Evangelical Reformed Church, Zernez The large church of the Evangelical Reformed parish of Zernez is called «Baselgia Gronda» or also «Baselgia San Mauritius». «Baselgia Gronda» simply means «Great Church». The church is first mentioned at the end of the 13th century. In the years 1607-1609, the «Baselgia Gronda» was renovated and extended, as a foundation of the Rudolf von Planta family. The large church is used by the parish as well as the political municipality mainly for larger events such as confirmations, funerals, community services or concerts. The remaining services of the Evangelical Reformed parish take place in the smaller, heated San Bastian church. Since 1883, the parishes of Susch and Zernez/Brail have been a joint pastoral community. Since the beginning of 2016, the four villages of Brail, Lavin, Susch and Zernez together form the parish of Zernez, which is a member of the Colloquium Engiadina Bassa/Val Müstair and the Evangelical Reformed Regional Church of Grisons. Text / Source: Reformed Church Zernez https://zernez-ref.ch/de/kirchen/

Chapel San Bastian, Zernez The Chapel / Church of San Bastian has been the winter church of the Protestant Reformed Church Community of Zernez since its renovation in the years 1949-1952. The choir of the smaller church in the Zernez fraction was built around 1490. For a long time, it was misused as a storage room. Only since the renovation of the church in the years 1949-1952 has the San Bastian church been regularly used for Sunday services. In recent years, summer services have also increasingly moved to the smaller, heated church. Thus, the San Bastian church has gradually become the actual main church in the community of Zernez. Since 1883, the church communities of Zernez/Brail and Susch were a pastoral community. Since the beginning of 2016, the four villages of Brail, Lavin, Susch, and Zernez together form the church community of Zernez, which belongs to the Colloquium Engiadina Bassa / Val Müstair and the Evangelical Reformed State Church of Grisons. The "Baselgia Gronda" with cemetery and the Church of San Bastian are a unit above the village and, alongside the Planta-Wildenberg Castle, are another symbol for the community of Zernez. Text / Source: Reformed Church Zernez https://zernez-ref.ch/de/kirchen/

First village coming from the Ofenpass

Simply fantastic!